1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to the field of outdoor sports. More specifically it relates to a fishing skill game which is intended to parallel a golf game in terminology and in certain broad procedural aspects. This game includes a special and inventive playing course including a large pond having either nine or eighteen designated fishing locations called habitats. The numbers of habitats correspond to the numbers of holes on conventional golf courses. Various hazards are created such as logs, rocks, plants or an anchored vessel near shore which the players must negotiate when casting, analogous to sand traps and lakes in golf courses. The game rules specify the range of sizes and types of fishing rods and lures permitted. Each player fishes at a habitat until he or she catches a fish. The number of casts made to catch the fish are recorded and the fish is stored in a cooler. Then the player moves on to the next habitat in the series, until he or she has played the entire course. Points are awarded based on the weight of the fish a player has caught and also based upon the total number of casts they have made. The highest raw numbers of points are earned by those catching the largest fish with the fewest casts. Then points are deducted as penalties for such errors as the loss of a lure and improper hooking. There are two embodiments of the inventive game, one being for ordinary recreation and the other for professional competition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been fishing competitions which purportedly identify the most skilled player. These competitions have generally had loosely defined rules which do not make skill alone decisive. For example, no previous competition has been known to account for the number of casts made by each player, even though more casts can offset a lack of skill. Another problem has been that fishing in the wild cannot be reliably offset by population control. Complex natural ecosystems and habitats can be destroyed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a fishing competition game which limits playing success as much as possible to demonstrated skill, where equipment used such as tackle is regulated and the final score depends in part of the number of casts made.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a game which is played on a course where individual performance can be closely monitored and which equalizes the obstacles encountered by the players.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a game which parallels in several ways the game of golf, to give players and observers a familiar frame of reference to quickly understand the game and an appealing sense of parody.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a game which is ecologically managed and environmentally friendly.